Apparatus for separating materials of different density such as coke from clinker, breeze, and the like



June 18, 1929. J. w. HARTLE'Y 1.717.707

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT DENSITY SUCH AS COKE FROM CLINKER, BREEZE, AND THE LIKE Filed April 2, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 18, 1929. J. w. HARTLEY 1,717,707

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS 0F DIFFERENT DENSITY SUCH AS COKE FROM CLINKER,l BREEZE, AND THE LIKE Filed April 2, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 @y MM45/,7

June 18, 1929- J. w. HARTLEY APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT DENSITY SUCH AS COKE FROM CLINKER, BREEZE, AND THE LIKE Filed April 2, 192e June 18, 1929- J. w. HARTLEY APPARATUS Eon sEPAEATING MATERIALS oF DIFFERENT DENSITY SUCH A5 COKE FROM CLINKER, BREEZE, AND THE LIKE Filed April 2, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W. W W W d. H/.HARTLEX Patented June 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAM HARTLEY, OF STONE, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING MATERIALS OF DIFFERENT DENSITY SUCH AS COKE FROM CLINKER, BREEZE, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed April 2, 1928, Serial No. 266,657, and in Great Britain April 4, 1927.

This invention relates to apparatus for separating materials of different density such as coke from clinker, breeze and the like, and of the known type comprising a water tank having a bucket wheel elevator or so-called raft' Wheel arranged in the upper part thereof and an endless chain elevator extending into the lower part thereof, the two elevators being intended to discharge their contents outside the tank, the foimer to separate and discharge onto a chute the lighter coke, which iioats, and the latter to discharge the heavier clinker, which sinks.

lVhile such known apparatus works fairly well when separatingr materials which arc of relatively much different density such as `dry coke and clinker, it is by no means so efficient when materials of more nearly equal densities are to be separated, for instance wet coke and clinker, the wet coke sinking bcfore the bucket wheel can remove it, so that a considerable quantity of coke is apt to escape With the clinker.

Moreover, owing to the gritty water in the tank the accumulation of sludge and the liability of dense pieces of material jamming the conveyors, the known machine 'is liable to damage and is not easy to maintain in good working order or repair.

The object of the present invention is to avoid these difficulties, that is, to enable the machine to separate efficiently materials differing slightly in specific gravity, for iiistance, wet coke from clinker, and also to avoid damage to the parts likely to meet with obstructions and to facilitate inspection and repair.

lVith this object in vi-ew the invention comprises the combination of parts as hereinafter described and as claimed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively, a side elevation of the apparatus partly broken away and a plan of the same.

Figure 3 is a section on the line III-JH, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV, Figure 2.

Figures 5 and 6 are, respectively, a plan and a cross section of one of the buckets of the raft wheel.

Figure 7 is a detail view of an alternative method of guiding the lower bearings of the conveyor into their pockets.

Figure 8 is a front sectional view of the mechanism for operating the rocking grating.

Figure 9 is a side view of the saine.

Figure 1() is a side view of one foi-m of variable throw crank for operating the rocking grating.

Figure 11 is a plan of the same.

A tank 1 having steeply inclined ends 2, 3, and vertical sides, being deepest at the centre, has its inclined ends joined together at the deepest part by a curved plate 4. A cleaning door 5 is fitted at one side near the bottom.

A shaft 6 is mounted in bearings 7 and 8, one being mounted on the top edge or flange of the tank at one side and the other on a stretcher bar 9 carried by brackets 9() on thc other side of the tank.

A raft wheel l() on the shaft 6 comprises a disc 11 rotating close to one side of the tank and a ring 12 rotating close to the opposite side, the two supporting the buckets 13 between them. The buckets 13 are of the form shown in Figures 5 and 6 and are bolted to the disc and ring by bolts 14, which may be adapted, if desired, to allow the buckets to pivot slightly in the event of undue stress so as to prevent jamming. The buckets have slots 15.

A perforated partition 16 nearly as wide as the tank, arcuate in vertical section so :is to conform to the shape of the raff wheel, extends from the top of the tank down and under the rear portion of the raft wheel 1() and terminates in a portion 17, which is not perforated. The partition 16 is mounted on a shaft 18 and is connected by a link 69 to a bell crank lever 19 provided with a counterweight 20 which normally holds the imperforate plate 17 in close contact with the raft wheel, but in the event of undue pressure on the partition due to an obstruction occurring between it and the ratf wheel, it will yield and discharge the material causing the obstruction and so avoid stoppage and damage.

A grating 22 is provided between the ratf wheel 10 and the adjacent inclined end 3 of the tank 1. The grating 22 is supported at its upper end, and the lower end beyond the bottom of the raif wheel is joined to a plate 23 resting on the inclined end 3 of the tank.

The grating 22 is preferably oscillated in synchronism with the passing of the buckets 13 of the ralf wheel 10 in front of it; for ex.- ainple, its upper end is mounted on a shalt 24 havingv a lever outside the tank 1 connecied bv a rod 26 to a crank pin 27 on a disk 271.r which is mounted on a shaft 2b which drives the ralf wheel 10 by spur wheels 2%) and il() of appropriate ratio accord-i ineY to the number of buckets on ih e rati wheel` so as to ensure that the grating is rocked as required. The lever 25 has a forked end engaging with trunnions 31 on a block or sleeve/32 freely mounted on the rod 2G. Springs on the rod abut at their ends against the sleeve 32 and collars 34 on the rod. This arrangement allows the grating to yield in the event of an obstruction occurring. The crank disc 271 1s mounted on the shaft 28 and it may be provided with any usual means for adjusting the crank pin 27 radially to vary the throw. For example, the crank pin 27 may have a .screw threaded extension 272 capable of sliding in a slot 273 in the crank dise 271. and locked in any desired position by a nut 274. The rod 26 may be adjustably secured to the crank pin 27. For example. on the crank pin a block 275 is pivotally mounted and is adapted to receive the rod 2G. r1`he rod 26 is capable of sliding in the block 275 and locked therein by the set screw 276. By these means the angle of oscillation of the `grating;` and the moments when the screen reaches the highest point of oscillation relatively 'to the passingr of the buckets 13 of the ralf wheel 1() may be determined to give the best results.

The shaft 2S which is the main driving' shaft is carried above the raff wheel in bearings 35. Figure 2. supported on a frame 3G' which maybe fixed to the sides of the tank, but is preferably supported independently on the ground as shown, and the same shaft may carry pulleys for driving, screening feeding` or elevator gear (not shown), which may be used in connection with the separator for treating coke before delivering it into the tank. as well known in the art. The shaft 28 also has a sprocket pinion 257 which by a chain 38 and a sprocket wheel 89 drives the inclined chain bucket elevator 4t), which lifts the clinker and other waste products from the curved bottom of the tank 1. The bearings 41 of the lower shaft 41 of this elevator are carried in open pockets 42 or slot bearings on the sides of the tank 1, so that they can be raised for inspection or repair l y suitable means such as rods 43 provided with racks 44 meshing with pinions 45 on a cross shaft 4G at the top of the tank 1, and guided in pivoted zguide blocks (38. A counter-weight 47, Figure 1, on a lever 48 on the pinion shaft 46 forces the bearings 41 down into the pockets 42, but allows the rods 43 and lower bearings 41 to yield should the elevator meet with an undue obstruction. The pinion shaft 4G is itted with a handle 49, so that the bearings can be raised and lowered by one attendant.

Each bearing 41 is attached to a radius rod ot), the other ends of the rods being swivelled from iulcruin pins 51 fixed lo the sides of the tank 1. The radius rods 5t) guide the chain elevator sprocket shaft bearings 41 into the pockets. s an alternative to the radius rods 5t) the bearings 41 may be e'uidcd into and out of the pockets 42 by guides provided on the sides of the tank as indicated at 5U', Figure 7, these being suitably directed to ensure that the elevator will not foul the partition 16 when it is raised. Flexible tulzes connected to the bearings 41 provide for lubrication d urine` work and permit the raising;` and replacement above described. '.llhe bearings 41 may be o1' suitably closed type to prevent ingress of dirty water. Ytheir outer ends bear against the sides of the tank which act as guides when they are raised and lowered.

rlie upper sprocket shaft 53 is mounted in adjustable bearings 54 on the frame 3,6.

`When dealing with unscreened coke. each bucket of the elevator preferably has small holes at the bottom and larger holes at the sides and top.

In order to set up a current of water in the tank 1 adjacent to the ralf wheel 10 where Vit separates the coke from the clinker, two pipes 55 are connected to the other end of the tank below the tank water level at the sides near the upper part. Each pipe 55 is litted with a screw propeller 56, so that water is forced along the pipes. which are downwardly inclined and return it to the tank through two openings 57. one on each opposite side of the tank 1, so that the two opposing currents emerge under the rockinrr gratinsr 22. The water is thus made to rise through the `grating 22 and itl passes back through the perforated curved plate 1G to the rear of the tank for further circulation.

The upward current of water floats the wet coke.r which would otherwise sink. so that it can be caught by the buckets of the rail wheel 10. The speed of the propellers may be adjusted so that the current can be regulated to suit the density of the material to be separated. but it is preferred to provide means for adjusting' the size of the inlet openings 58 to the pumps for this purpose. For instance, the openings 58 are provided with valves such as plates 5t) carried on a shaft 60 which is provided with a hand lever 61 adapted to be set by a bolt in any determined position in a slotted quadrant 62. The propeller shafts G3 may project upwards from the rear ends of the pipes through glands or long sleeve bearings above the level of the `@gritty water in the tank for the protection of the bearings, the shafts llt) being geared together by a cross shaft 64 and skew or other gearing (S5, (3G. The shaft 64 may be driven in any suitable manner and may be provided with any means for varying the speed. Each pipe has an inspection door (S8 to facilitate cleaning or repaiil of the propellers.

Each pipe 55 as shown, preferably coniprises a cylindrical portion having a lateral inlet connection to the adjacent side of the tank, a tapering portion having a tianged connection at its larger end to the outlet end of the cyliinlrical portion and a tianged connection at the smaller end to a` bend having a flanged connection to the adjacent side of the tank, the band having a rhomboidal opening 57 into the tank with one edge flush with the inclined end of the tank, as shown in Figures l and 4.

The raff wheel 10 is provided with a laterally inclined discharge chute G7'.

I claim:

l. An apparatus for separating coke from elinker and for similar purposes comprising a tank, having inclined ends. a rattwheel partly innnersed in said tank` a (fr-ating in said. tank adjacent to said ratiwneel onto which the materials to be separated are deposited, said grating having a plate pivoted to the grating at its uppei` edge and having its lower edge resting on the adjacent inclined end of the tank, means for oscillating said grating and nieans for creating an upward current of water through said grating towards said ratf-wheel substantially as and for the purpose liereinbefore set forth.

Q. An apparatus for separating coke from elinker and for similar purposes comprising a tank, a ratfwhcel partly immersed in said tank, a grating in said tank adjacent to said raff-wheel onto which the materials to ie separated are deposited, means for oscillating said grating, means for creating an upward current of water through said grating towards said ratf-wheel and a perforated partition conforming to said naif-wheel, situated on the opposite side thereof to said grating and yielding means for holding said partition adjacent to said ralf-wheel substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. An apparatus for separating coke from clinker and for similar purposes comprising a tank, a ratf-wheel partly immersed in said tank, a grating in said tank adjacent to said ruff-wheel onto which the materials to be separated are deposited, means for oscillating said grating, a perforated partition conforming to said ratf-wheel and arranged on the opposite side thereof relative to said grating, a pipe on each side of said tank, each pipe having an inlet Connection to said tank at a position remote from said ralf-wheel and an outlet connection to said tank below said grating, and a propeller' within each of said pipes for creating an upward current of water through said grating towards said raft-wheel substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

4. An apparatus for separating coke from elinker and for similar purposes comprisin a tank, a raft-wheel partly immersed in said tank, a grating in said tank adjacent to said raft-wheel onto which the materials to be separated are deposited, means for oscillating said grating, a perforated partition eonforming to said ratf-wheel and arranged on the opposite side thereof relative to said grating a pipe on each side of said tank, each pipe having an inlet connection to said tank at a position remote from said rati'- \\heel, a valve for regulating the size of opening of said inlet connection, and an outlet connection to said tank below said grating. and a propeller within each of said pipes for creating an upward current of water through said grating towards said rati-wheel substantially as and for the purpose hcreinbefore set forth.

5. An apparatus for separating coke from elinker and for like purposes comprising a tank having inclined ends, a ralf-wheel partly immersed in said tank, a perforated partition conforming to the shape of said rati-wheel and situated on one side thereof, an oscillatory grating on the opposite side of said raf-wheel, onto which the material is t0 be deposited, means for oscillating said grating adjacent to said raff-wheel and in synchronism with the passing of the buckets thereof, means for creating an upward current of water through said grating towards said raff-wheel, and means for removing elinker or other solid deposited on the bottom of the tank, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN VILLIAM HARTLEY. 

